’If you can’t explain yourself, then I’ll just have to crush you fair and square in the arena!’
DING
The match light turned from blue to green.
"Go for a close-range Strong Attack with Steel Feather!"
WHOOSH!
The moment before the match began, the Thunderbolt War Falcon had already received his Beast Tamer’s command. He shot forward the instant the fight started.
His massive wings were immediately coated in a layer of cyan Energy, making them look like blades.
This was the Cyan Feathered Falcon’s close-quarters combat Skill—Steel Feather.
The Hao Waterfowl excelled at long-range Strong Attacks but was poor at handling close-quarters combat. With its frail body, it was a true glass cannon.
Once an opponent got close, all of the Hao Waterfowl’s great power would be rendered useless!
"GAK!"
"QUACK!"
In a flash, the two Pet Beasts’ gazes clashed.
To the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s surprise, Xue Li dodged the sweeping slash of Steel Feather with incredibly fast reflexes and extreme agility.
At the same time, her duck bill smoothly clamped down on the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s left talon, and she gave a vicious swing.
Relying on masterful technique and perfect timing, the seemingly small Xue Li unleashed a burst of Power completely disproportionate to her appearance.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon, much larger than Xue Li, actually lost his balance for a moment and was flung crookedly into the air!
A blue Light Array appeared instantly. A turbulent current of water gushed out, shooting straight toward the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s position.
WHOOSH—
Just as he was about to be engulfed by the water, the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s figure transformed into a streak of light and retreated ten meters backward.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon’s Racial Skill, a Wind Element Middle Elite Skill: Swallow’s Return!
"Gaa..." A spark of electricity flashed in the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s eyes as he stared at Xue Li on the arena floor, still shaken.
The Hao Waterfowl’s inability to handle close-quarters combat had always been a major weakness, yet Xue Li had overcome this shortcoming through sheer post-natal training.
That masterful dodge, that ferocious peck... for a moment during their clash, the Thunderbolt War Falcon had the illusion he wasn’t facing a Hao Waterfowl, but a raptor that dominated the skies.
And that High-pressure Water Gun just now...
It was too fast.
If he hadn’t used Swallow’s Return, it would have been difficult to say for sure if even the Thunderbolt War Falcon, famed for his speed, could have dodged it.
This Hao Waterfowl’s strength was actually approaching that of an ordinary Turbulent Duck!
The first singles player from Shanda Affiliated frowned slightly, quickly realizing the gravity of the situation.
"Change of plans! Create distance, don’t attack rashly, and focus on staying mobile!"
"GAK!"
The Thunderbolt War Falcon didn’t dare to be the least bit careless either. He flapped his wings to pull away, keeping his distance within a relatively safe range.
At the same time, cyan Energy appeared in the path the Cyan Feathered Falcon had flown. The surrounding air rippled, converging into a dense barrage of Wind Blades that swept toward Xue Li in an instant.
Wind Blade—a common Skill for a Cyan Feathered Falcon, and also one of the classic, powerful Wind Element Skills!
A trace of admiration flashed in Ke Yan’s eyes.
’This number one singles player had been unremarkable before, leaving no impression on him. He hadn’t expected his Pet Beast to be so well-raised.’
’There were still some rough edges, of course, but in terms of Wind Blade alone, he was already approaching the average level of an Alliance Member.’
’As expected of a student from Shanda Affiliated!’
’Faced with such an offensive, it would be understandable if the Hao Waterfowl couldn’t hold u—’
SPLASH!
Before Ke Yan’s thought could even finish forming, the explosive sound of rushing water pulled his mind back to reality.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon had indeed created distance in time, avoiding an embarrassing defeat in close combat. However, this had also given Xue Li the space to launch her own offensive.
Dense blue Light Arrays appeared. Towering Waves, Strong Current Strangulation, and Flowing Shield were unleashed consecutively in an extremely short time, creating a sense of pressure like a small mountain rising from the ground.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon’s Wind Blades were like a light rain on a mountain peak; their momentum was instantly overwhelmed.
"Holy shit!"
"Is that a Hao Waterfowl? It’s not a Turbulent Duck using a Form-Fixing Potion, is it?!"
"I thought they were making a strategic sacrifice, but it turns out they were just a wolf in sheep’s clothing..."
The spectating students were all shocked. One or two of them looked at Ke Yan and saw that the instructor’s back was perfectly still. They couldn’t help but sigh with admiration internally.
’As expected of the coach. A seasoned veteran who’s seen it all really is different!’
In reality, Ke Yan wasn’t perfectly still... he was just stunned. If anyone had been standing in front of him, they would have seen the vivid expression of a dumbfounded bear.
’A Hao Waterfowl with this Energy Value can launch such an offensive?’
’No, wait, why is her close-quarters combat so proficient? Aren’t Hao Waterfowl remote Strong Attack Type Pet Beasts?? If this was deliberate training... just how much has she suffered to get this good??’
’Why is that asshole Su Zhi’s classmate also on this same crazy wavelength!?’
Everyone was surprised—except for Su Zhi, and except for the classmates and friends who spent every day with Liu Yuhang and had seen every drop of his sweat.
The stars do not fail the traveler. Now was the time to shine!
"GAK!"
Xue Li’s powerful counterattack was beyond the Shanda Affiliated player’s expectations. The Thunderbolt War Falcon hastily pulled up. The gravity-bound streams of water were weaker than a direct shot, which was how the Thunderbolt War Falcon managed to escape.
However, before he could stabilize himself, a gigantic blue Light Array had already appeared overhead, covering the entire arena—
SPLASH!!!
A heavy, ferocious waterfall crashed down from above, covering the entire arena. Faced with this kind of saturation attack, the Thunderbolt War Falcon’s mobility was useless. He was submerged before he could even let out a cry.
"Oh no!" The students from Shanda Affiliated stared wide-eyed.
The water receded—
The Thunderbolt War Falcon struggled to remain standing. His feathers were completely soaked, and his wings drooped to the ground, unable to be lifted again.
The moment he was hit by Broken Waterfall Judgment, he had instantly maneuvered, moving parallel to the water’s flow to dissipate the attack’s Power as much as possible.
Even so, the remaining kinetic energy still caused him major damage, so much so that he couldn’t even fly. But as a proud raptor, the Thunderbolt War Falcon refused to fall and admit defeat, preferring to be struck down by the next blow.
"QUACK!" Xue Li charged toward the Thunderbolt War Falcon, a blue Light Array simultaneously appearing beside her.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon was too weak to fly or block. He could only watch helplessly as Xue Li closed in, bracing himself for the hit.
Victory was sealed!
THUD.
However, Xue Li’s legs suddenly gave out, and she collapsed onto the arena floor. The Energy Light Array, which had been gathering power to shoot a stream of water, also fizzled out and crumbled in midair.
The Thunderbolt War Falcon was a little confused.
"Xue Li!" Liu Yuhang’s expression changed, and he rushed out from his command position.
...
"It’s nothing serious, just temporary Energy shock. Let her rest for a while and she’ll be fine." Over ten minutes later, the Pet Beast doctor who had rushed over finished examining Xue Li.
Liu Yuhang nodded, finally letting out a sigh of relief. But when he looked at Su Zhi, his gaze was filled with self-reproach.
"Brother Shu, I’m sorry. I lost us another round."
"It’s fine. There are wins and losses in a competition." Su Zhi patted his shoulder, his hand firm and strong.
"As long as Xue Li is okay, that’s what matters. Leave the rest to us!"
According to the rules, since Xue Li withdrew mid-match, the Shanda Affiliated team automatically won the first round.
The second round was a doubles match, with each side sending out two people to command their Pet Beasts in coordinated combat.
After the setup from the first round, the spectating students were all looking forward to the second. They hadn’t expected the people from Huai City First Middle School to all be hiding their strength. It seemed this match wouldn’t be a one-sided stomp after all!
On the other side, the Shanda Affiliated team didn’t dare to be careless anymore either.
Liu Yuhang had actually won the first round. Xue Li’s sudden shock was most likely due to some other reason, a factor of force majeure.
Regardless of the win or loss, the performance Liu Yuhang and Xue Li put on had already fired up their teammates’ killing intent to the max!
"They’re stronger than we thought, but not by that much. Don’t be rash. Play it slow and steady, and they won’t stand a chance."
Wang Haokun instructed the two team members who were about to go on stage, while simultaneously observing the opposing team’s lineup.
Huai City First Middle School still hadn’t sent out Su Zhi. The ones who walked onto the arena were two male students: one had a contract with a White Flame Battle Spirit, the other with a Wave White.
No, wait... That’s an evolved Sunmark Wave White!
The arena instantly erupted.
·
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Xue Li’s sudden shock is related to evolution, which will be explained later...